NASA’s Crew-10 Astronauts Return Safely After 18-Hour Journey from ISS
Four astronauts from NASA’s Crew-10 mission successfully returned to Earth on Saturday after an 18-hour journey from the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The crew splashed down off the coast of California in the Pacific Ocean at 3:33 p.m. UTC/GMT, marking the end of their nearly five-month mission.
The returning team included NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. "From the entire Crew-10, thank you," said McClain, the Dragon commander, shortly after landing. "It was truly the ride of a lifetime."
During their 146-day stay, the astronauts conducted over 200 scientific experiments, including critical research on plant growth and cell behavior in microgravity. Their work contributes to future long-duration space missions, including potential crewed missions to Mars.
#Crew10 Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, left, @NASA_Astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain, and JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, right, are seen inside their @SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after splashing down off the coast of California. More photos: https://t.co/D2LbSnodfL pic.twitter.com/OlrJimFwfG
— NASA HQ PHOTO (@nasahqphoto) August 9, 2025
Crew-10 had launched on March 14, 2025, replacing Crew-9, which included NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams. Wilmore and Williams were stranded aboard the ISS for nine months after their Boeing Starliner capsule experienced propulsion issues, delaying their return. They were eventually brought back to Earth on a SpaceX Dragon capsule provided by Elon Musk’s company.
NASA confirmed that Wilmore retired this week after 25 years of service with the agency.
Last week, a fresh team of astronauts—NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA’s Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos’ Oleg Platonov—arrived at the ISS for a six-month mission, continuing ongoing research and operations.
